THINGS TO DO IN INLE LAKE: THE COMPLETE GUIDE

One of all the most visited places in Myanmar, the rawest and most mesmerizing is perhaps Inle lake.

Resting on the Shan plateau and surrounded by the Shan Hills this natural mirror, where migratory birds passing overhead reflect, glows.

Inle lake is a fresh water lake situated 900 meters above sea level and inhabited by the Intha people, literally meaning “Sons of the Lake” in the Shan state of Myanmar. The Shan Hills are home to other 30 different tribes, including the Padaung people ( long neck women tribe ) Inle lake is also shelter to about 35 endemic species of fish and boasts a rich scenery of floating villages and gardens.

Things to do in Inle lake: the complete guide

The lake and surrounding areas are vast and an invitation to relaxation and meditation, as the whole Myanmar, so I would recommend a minimum stay of 4 nights. Four nights is not enough to cover all the available activities, but you will at least get a glimpse of the local life, temples and stupas.

In order to do all the activities in the area and visit all lnle lake local attractions while having a couple of hours per day to chill at the pool I would recommend a stay of at least a week.

How to get to Inle lake from Yangon

There are three ways to get from Yangon to Inle lake;

By Bus; There is a bus that take you from Yangon to Nyaung Shwe, from which peer a boat can take you to the lake and where most tourists stay. The trip costs 25 dollars per person and it takes around 10 hours. A good option for budget travelers is to book the night bus, so that you can save a night hotel and you will not miss a single day of your holiday in transportation. Get your ticket with Bookaway.

By train; This is the longest way to travel from Yangon to Inle lake and I would not recommend it as it is longer than 25 hours so you will miss a complete day of your stay inside a train. The train will leave you in Shwe Nyaung station that is around 5 km from Inle lake and it is not a direct train. You will need to swap trains in Thazi.

By plane; This is the most expensive and shortest way to travel the Inle lake from Yangon. The flight is around one hour and the plane ticket costs around 100 dollars per person, the cheapest, the earlier your book. There are several airlines that will take you there, Myanmar airlnes, Yangon Airways Air KBZ and Asian Wings Airways. You will land at Heho airport from where you can take a taxi to your accommodation. Heho airport is around 50 Km from Inle lake and it costs around 30 dollars. You can share the taxi with other travelers and split the costs.

Inle lake environmental entrance fees

At the moment the lake is facing many ecological problems. The depth of the water has diminished due to the deforestation of the surrounding areas and as a consequence sediment has been deposited in the lake bed. Growing tourism has resulted in more new hotels being built around the lake and more fuel leaking into the lake in order to transport visitors. The increasing number of floating gardens on the lake has reduced its surface and pesticides and fertilizers of the gardens have leaked into the lake harming the fish and human health.

In order to help with initiatives to correct these issues there is an environmental entrance fee to enter Inle Lake valid for five days of 13.500 kyats, around 10 dollars.

TIP; Have the entrance fee cash on arrival, only cash money is accepted.

Wear a longyi and dress up like a local

– You can borrow my clothes so you fit in when visiting the temples- Kathy said with genuine smile.

I refused as I did not want to take advantage of loca people, but she said.

– Please do it, it will be a honor for me- she replied.

I could not have got a better gift than those clothes than helped me better fitting in the environment. On my departure day she offered me as a gift one of the Longyis and scarfs I had been using during my stay there so that I could still use during my upcoming days in Bagan.

Kathy is the receptionist of the hotel where I stayed and still a Facebook friend today. Yes! Dress up like a local and let the adventure begin!

If you are not so lucky to get some local outfit offered as a present there are plenty on sale on the local markets. It is the perfect outfit to visit Buddhist temples as you will not be able to enter wearing shorts, and mimicking locals will always facilitate learning about their culture and language.

Where to stay

Most of the budget accommodation is located in the Nyaung Shwe village and you can enjoy some of the best of the local cuisine there.

I decided to stay around the lake in a resort as the scenery was breathtaking, the prices really low and there was peer at the hotel so I could go directly into the lake from my accommodation.

A boat trip around the lake

This is a must do during your stay Inle lake. It will cost you around 25 dollars and you will be touring around the lake on the boat for a whole day. Trip usually starts at 7:00 A.M and finishes at sunset. You can book the trip at your hotel reception. There are cheaper options if you deal with local people on your own.

Early morning boat at Inle lake

An extra fee of 10 dollars is applied if you decide to go to Indein village as it is further away than the other attractions.

TIP; The famous basket-fishermen of Inle lake are no longer fishing this way. You can arrange a photoshoot with them so that you get your Instagram shot. Luckily not all traditions have been lost to tourism go and leg rowing fishing men are still common in the lake. I decided not to take the rehearsed pic and just go for the authentic ones.

Nga Phe Kyaung Monastery: the cat temple

One of the most emblematic places in Inle lake is this wooden building. The temple is also called “ The Cat Temple” as the residents monks used to make its large cat population jump through hoops. This is not happening any more but many cats still live there and you can see them everywhere chilling out and coming close to the monks while they are praying.

Five days market and handicrafts

This daily market around the lake rotates around five different location so make sure you tell your boat driver you would like to get there so that he can adjust the route.

The market is dedicated to food, antiques and different fabrics.  The Pa´O ladies with the distinctive turban like head dresses and flowers.

Make sure to bargain as they can ask astronomical prices for the goods. It is a very nice spot to take a traditional Myanmar coffee and relax.

Lotus flowers farms

Lotus flowers weaving is one of the finest crafts of Inle lake. When you visit one of the many Lotus flowers farms around the lake you will be introduced to the art of Lotus flower weaving and offered to buy some goods.

Meditate at the Phaung Daw U Pagoda

The Phaung Daw U pagoda is one of three most important shrines in Myanmar, being the other two, the Shwedagon pagoda in Yangon and the Shwezigon pagoda in Vietnam. The pagoda is home to five buddha shrines. And this one of the Inle lake local attractions not to be missed during your visit.

At the entrance corridors of the pagoda there are several stalls selling flowers, antiques and other handicrafts.

On the September full Moon every year a festival takes place during which the five images were rowed around the lake to visit other pagodas. Nowadays only four images take this tour. Some years ago the buddhas images drawn into the lake and the guardians could only recover four of them. Once back at the pagoda they found the fifth shrine miraculously in its normal place. It has stayed there since them and it serves to protect the pagoda during the festival.

If you practice meditation one of the best things to do in Inle lake is sitting down on the pagodas in the pagodas and meditate , remember always to leave to leave a joyous donation. At the Phaung Daw U pagoda I attended a ceremony that was held by two monks. As the ceremony finished the monks approached me and managed ( they did not speak a word of English) to ask me to take a photo with them.

Have a meal in a floating restaurant

Some of the best floating restaurants in Inle lake are in the area of the Phaung Daw U pagoda so I recommend to plan your visit so that you can have lunch straight after visiting the pagoda.

You can enjoy local vegetables grown in the lake floating gardens. Local tomatoes are really delicious.

Visit the pagodas at the Indein village

You can get to the Indein lake through a canal in the South West of the lake. 15 minutes walking from the lake lies a complex of originally around 2000 pagodas from the 16th century.

Local people will offer you a motorbike ride and tell you the pagodas are 45 minutes walking distance from the village. This is not true and it is a very nice walk up to the pagodas.

Get to know different Myanmar ethnic groups at the Loikaw village

The town of Loikaw spirals around its stunning Taungkwe pagoda, which stupas perched on rocks. There are several other pagodas in the village as well as local culture museum.

There are several ethnic groups living around Loikaw, one of them being the Padaung group, which ladies wear rings around their necks and it is possible to visit their villages.

Go for a bike ride around Inle lake

Most of the accommodations in Inle lake offer the use of a bike free of charge. You can just go exploring around and mix with the locals around the lake. It is safe and people are very nice. Some of them will ask you for a photo as this is a very normal practice in Myanmar. Be nice .

Bike ride around Inle lake

Take a break in the hot springs

On the way to Maing Thuak monastery there are some hot springs. Take your bikini with and enjoy some natural spa.

Taste some local wine at the Aythaya winery

The wines served in this winery come from different vines imported from Europe. The project initially started in the Kayah state to then be relocated to the Aythaya, in the Shan state.

You can taste four or five different wines while watching the sunset against a magnificent landscape. Dinners are also served but need to be booked in the advance at the Aythaya winery.

Trek to Inle lake from Kalaw

Trekking down to Inle lake from the Shan hills takes approximately three days and the most popular spot to start the trek is Kalaw. The best way to do it is through a local guide who will arrange the route, the homestay, the cook and the luggage transport. You can check with your hotel to find a reliable guide.

You will passed through villages of the Pa´O, Danu and Palaung people.

Go for a leg rowing boat ride at Maing Thauk

This is one of the most authentic things to do in Inle lake and you will for sure not get disappointed.

Maing Thauk village is a floating village on the banks of the Inle lake you can access by foot by crossing a wooden bridge. There are plenty of restaurants in the village where you can eat local vegetables grown in the floating gardens.

The village is home to traditional leg rowers so for negotiable small fee you can take leg row tour around the village. Be generous with your arrangement as we are privileged travelers in Myanmar.

I was lucky enough to be taken around by a 60 year old lady who lived alone in a floating home on the village and when we passed by her floating garden she offered me some local tomatoes.

Take a day trip to the Kakku pagodas

One of the best alternative things to do in Inle lake is visiting the Kakku pagodas.

In the heart of an area inhabited by the Pa´O people , one hour and half car drive from the lake is Kakku.

kakku is a jungle of around 2000 pagodas revolving around a central one. The stupas are believed to date from the 17th and 18th century.

Entrance fee is around 50.000 kyats and you can arrange the driver at your hotel reception or take a tour.

READ MORE:

Visit Bagan temples

One day in Mandalay

Kakku pagodas